Live and Learn
by Luella
Summary: Derek and Meredith deal with the same problems any married couple would. Children,infidelity,headmasters, pets,and romance.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Sequel to Waiting in Vain. Derek and Meredith go througth everyday life with their fair share of problems.

* * *

"Mallory get down here right now!" Meredith Grey-Shepherd called to her seven year old daughter. She picked her screaming one-year-old son Thatcher out of his high chair and bounced him up and down trying to stop his tears.

"Its okay baby." She whispered throwing a banana into Mallory's lunchbox. Despite having a rocky or pretty much non-existent relationship with her father she still wanted to give her son his name. Personally she had always like the name and thought that she shouldn't let it go to waste even if they didn't get along.

"Mommy have you seen my purple tights?" Five-year-old Colby asked. She scratched her scalp with a perplexed look on her delicate face. Meredith couldn't help but life at her confused look.

"No I have not. Can you get your sister down here please." She asked the little girl. Colby nodded and ran out of the kitchen and yelled for Mallory at the bottom of the stairs.

"Thanks hun." She said sarcastically and put a now calm Thatcher into his high chair.

"Okay, Thatch, let's try this again." She scooped some cereal into her spoon and aimed for his mouth but mysteriously the orangey viscous ended up on her sweatshirt.

"Whatever, this was Derek's anyway." She teased Thatcher sticking her tongue at him.

Never in a million years could Meredith picture herself a mother of three with a gorgeous neurosurgeon for a husband and a not to shabby career for herself as a resident. She was even content with not being chief resident, that honor went to her best friend Cristina who really deserved it. She had married her longtime boyfriend Preston Burke after much cajoling on his part, but she told him there wouldn't be any kids until she was ready with her career and all. Meredith was also fine with calling it quits with any more attempts to have any more kids much to Derek's chagrin. It was hard enough raising them on such a helter skelter schedule with Derek flying about the world attending conferences and performing surgeries.

He was currently in California assisting Richard in a lecture. After giving Derek Chief of Surgery he retired going back to teaching and often called on Derek to help him out. With Richard being his mentor Derek could never refuse always jumping at a chance to help him out. The only problem was that Derek was going on these trips more often leaving Meredith alone with the kids and having to deal all by herself.

"Mallory!" she called again. Finally she came waltzing into the breakfast nook with her long honey blonde hair flowing behind her. She was wearing a pair of torn jeans at the knee with her mother's beige cable knit sweater.

"Who told you it was okay to wear my clothes?" she asked looking at her incredulously.

"You wear Daddy's clothes. Look you're even wearing his sweatshirt." She pointed out tucking a strand of flyaway bangs. For a seven-year-old she was a little too precocious and had a smart mouth, like her father.

"Ask please next time." She rolled her eyes going back to spoon-feeding Thatcher.

"Geez mom, when's Dad coming back?" Mallory asked sensing her mom's tense state.

"Um, in two days." She replied with some distress in her voice. Colby ran into the room, she had found her tights and was wearing them with a white baby doll dress.

"Sweetie that's your dress you wore to Aunt Celia's wedding." She reminded her.

"Yeah, can I wear it today?" she pouted blinking her green eyes at Meredith rapidly. Unlike Mallory she had dark wavy hair. Her color was a mix between her's and Derek's, they always joked that she was their in between daughter.

"Fine." Meredith sighed throwing her arms up surrendering. The doorbell rang and Colby shot out of the room to answer it.

"Remember to ask who it is!" she called after her. Not that it really mattered, they lived in the middle of nowhere with the closet neighbors a mile and a half away. Meredith ran a hand through her hair trying to fix her disheveled appearance.

Rebecca Martin a mother of Mallory's friend came into the kitchen spotting Meredith in the nook.

"Good morning." She waved a perfectly manicured hand at Meredith smoothing the invisible wrinkles in her khaki pants. Her blonde her was coiffed perfectly and her red lipstick left no stains on her teeth. 'Shit.' Meredith thought. 'Now I feel even more inadequate.'

Rebecca was one of those uber mom's who quit their day jobs and stayed full time at home with her kids. She was always there on time to pick her kids up from soccer practice and always never failed to have a snack waiting for them when they got back from school. Meredith on the other hand was always late picking the kids up and barely had time to fix their lunches let alone prepare an afternoon snack.

"Hey Rebecca." She forced a smile wiping her hands on her yoga pants. They had worked out a carpool but Rebecca was mainly involved with shuttling her's and her kids around.

"Ready to go guys." Mallory nodded grabbing her lunchbox and throwing her North Face Fleece on. She and Colby ran up to Meredith kissing her goodbye and ran out of the kitchen.

"So when is that yummy husband of yours coming back? I don't know what I would do if my husband was traveling all the time." she said flashing her pearly whites at Meredith.

"He should be back in two days. " Meredith nodded. Rebecca along with all the other moms had been hot for Derek. He was obviously a very good looking man she would think something was wrong with them if they didn't lust after him. Except Rebecca always managed to cross that line of friendly and overly flirty. The horn of her car beeped prompting her to end the conversation.

"Oh, that's probably your Mallory. She's so spunky. Anyway tell Derek I said hello." The sad part was she could have been right about Mallory laying it on the horn.

"Will do. And you tell Mark I said 'hi' too." Rebecca gave Meredith another perma grin and left the house. Meredith let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in and picked Thatcher up from his high chair.

"Alright let's get you cleaned up." She ran a hand through his dark locks that were streaked with cereal.

* * *

Meredith sat in the bleachers of the soccer field sipping her thermos of coffee while she and Izzie talked. Izzie had surprisingly gave her relationship with Alex a chance. The two had recently been going through a long distance relationship. Alex was studying plastic surgery in California, while Izzie focused on neo-natal. He had just moved down there a year ago and often came up to visit Izzie or flew her down there himself. Overall they were a very cute couple.

"Look!" Izzie pointed Mallory out as Meredith rocked a sleeping Thatcher. "My god daughter just made a goal." She said smugly.

"Oh crap. I missed it. What was it like?" Meredith asked pushing her sunglasses off of her face.

"She totally pummeled through this one sucker and kicked it right past the goalie." An angry mother shot Izzie a look. "Oh, was that sucker yours?" she bite her cheek trying to keep in her laughter. Meredith shook her head giggling and took another sip from her mug.

"Hey Izzie, how does you have a long distance relationship? How do you know if their not…cheating on you?"

"Derek's cheating on you!" Izzie hissed. Meredith shushed her waving her hand up and down.

"No! It's just that Rebecca Martin made a comment along the lines of me not being able to trust Derek. But I do, you know, I do." Meredith replied.

"You have nothing to worry about Mer. Derek is like head over heals in love with you. Remember the whole Addison fiasco and how he wouldn't leave your side? Granted he cheated but he did it with you; he didn't want to be with her just you." Izzie said trying to comfort her.

Meredith nodded, there was no way Derek would ever cheat on her, and he promised her that in his proposal.

"Is that your phone?" Izzie asked as it rang. Meredith picked up her Chloe Paddington bag and began to rifle through it.

"Wait is that the new Chloe bag?" Meredith nodded with a smile. "There's like a three year waiting list for that. Derek got you that and your stressing about him cheating on you?"

Meredith ignored Izzie and answered the phone, "Hello?" she yelled getting up to walk away form the angry stares of the other parents.

"Mer bear." Derek teased.

"Derek, how many times have I told you not to call me that?" she laughed her heart melting at the sound of his voice.

"Many, but its sounds so cute whenever Colby says it and I can't resist trying it out myself." He chuckled into the phone.

"I miss you." Meredith said,

"I miss you too." He replied earnestly. "I'm really sorry to tell you this but I won't be due back for another four days, not two." Meredith's face fell at this shocking revelation.

"But Derek. I am going crazy; you've already been gone for a week and a half. I miss you, the children miss you, and we all miss you. Can't you just-"

"Hop out on Richard? I wish but that is not a possibility." He sighed in the background the parents cheered when another goal was made.

"Looks like Mallory made an assist." Derek said. Meredith whipped her head back to the field witnessing the celebration.

"Crap I missed it again…" she trailed off trying to figure out how Derek had seen it. "Derek?" she said again searching the field until she found him leaning against his car in the parking lot. Smiling she walked over to him, her walk turning into a fast walk and then a fast jog. Finally she reached him and jumped into his arms.

"Derek!" She exclaimed wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him hard on the mouth.

"Mmm…" he moaned pulling back from the kiss. "Once again my sweatshirt looks better on you then it would me."

"You ass." She remarked trying to wiggle out of his embrace.

"Oh no you don't. I haven't held you in my arms in a whole week and a half." He grinned bringing his mouth to hers. His tongue slipped past her lips and Meredith squirmed pulling away.

"Now what would the other mothers say if they caught us making out against your car?" she asked.

" 'What a nice car that Derek has.'" He replied in an awful high-pitched voice. Meredith laughed as he released her. Izzie soon joined them strolling Thatcher with Colby sitting in it, a bad habit of hers. Mallory came charging towards Derek in a flurry of blonde hair and soccer cleats.

"Daddy!" she shouted jumping into his arms.

"Hey Mal." Derek exclaimed. Swinging her around a few times. Colby perked up getting out of the stroller and jumping on her father. Derek swung her up into his arms and kissed her nose. He put Mallory down and ruffled Thatcher's unruly dark curls. "Hi Izzie." He kissed her cheek greeting her hello.

"Well she's all yours. Maybe you can fix solve her insecurities." Izzie said hugging Meredith goodbye.

"What insecurities?" he asked as Colby twirled a finger around a lock of his hair.

"Nothing." She answered pushing the stroller to her car. "Come on guys let's go get ice cream. It's on Daddy." She smiled back at Derek as he put Colby down. He shook his head and pulled his keys out of his pocket.


	2. Chapter 2

After dinner Derek, exhausted from his non-stop flight, parked out on the couch with Colby sprawled across him. The two were watching cartoons; Derek had given up arguing with Colby over the remote and decided to settle for Tom and Jerry. Colby's small body shook with laughter as the cat tried for the umpteenth time to swallow the tricky mouse. Derek smiled stroking her brown curly hair and pressing a kiss to her head. She reached up took his hand and brought it to her lips, smooching it loudly she looked up at her dad grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"If your not watching this then I'll just change it…" he teased as her head snapped back to the television. It was the quiet moments like this that Derek missed when he was jet setting across the country. He missed his family thoroughly, especially Meredith. Leaving her with their rowdy three children was hard on her. She always told him that she felt like a single parent barely raising Mallory, Colby, and Thatcher. They never really had any time for each other. If Meredith were on call, Derek would be home with the kids and vice versa. Even though Derek had just gotten back from his trip he hadn't spent any alone time with Meredith and seriously doubted that would be possible.

"Colby, did you pick up your toys that were lying around in the hallway?" Meredith asked as she leant against the doorframe to the TV room.

"No." she said getting up from Derek's lap begrudgingly and running off to the hallway.

"Alone at last." Meredith said plopping herself on Derek's lap.

"Oh, you're a little bigger than Colby." He laughed rubbing his arm that she just hit. Meredith cuddled into him resting her head between the crook of his neck.

"I missed you." She sighed.

"I missed you too. Those hotel rooms can get really lonely." He teased slipping his hand up her sweatshirt. His fingertips drummed across the skin of her hip.

"I bet you did." Meredith exclaimed pulling his hand away.

"Come on!" he protested. "You do know that we haven't had sex in a _month_?" he said whispering the last word.

"I know, either you weren't here or I wasn't in the mood." She challenged raising an eyebrow at him. Derek's hand found its way down her yoga pants stroking her unexpectedly.

"Are you in the mood now?" he asked swallowing hard.

"Derek." She pleaded grabbing at his hand and slowly removing it. "Any of the kids could have walked in." Meredith exclaimed.

"Sorry." He said turning his face.

"Don't be mad." She said as she saw the annoyed look on his face.

"I'm not mad." He let out. "It's just that we haven't been together in such a long time and I was hoping we could remedy that tonight." Derek explained letting his hands sneak underneath her top.

"Derek." She said sternly. He removed his hand and rubbed at his eyes in a tired fashion. Meredith huffed getting up from his lap.

"Fine, if you wanna pout be my guest." She marched off to put Thatcher to bed.

Derek kissed the girls goodnight along with Thatcher and met up with Meredith. He entered their bedroom and found Meredith rubbing her hands with some kind of anti-ageing lotion. She looked up at him and gave him a cold glare. Derek sighed; the last thing he needed was an angry wife sleeping as far away from him as she could. He got into bed running a hand through his hair and turning off his light. Meredith followed turning off her life and pulling the comforter around her.

"Goodnight." He tried, attempting to kiss her but she pulled away murmuring a "goodnight".

"Meredith."

"What?" she asked sitting up in bed and looking at him.

"Mer. I'm sorry." He said.

"You're sorry? I've been raising your kids for a week and a half and all you want when you come home is a little nookie. So actually I'm the sorry one, I'm sorry that I can't just lay here and let you have your way with me. Good night Derek." She said turning over and going to sleep.

"Um goodnight." He replied confused.

"Ugh, typical you to be confused when I'm mad at you." She huffed getting out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To sleep in the guestroom!"

* * *

"Mal what time should I pick you up from school today?" Derek asked as he poured some Museli cereal in a bowl.

"At three." She answered spooning some cereal into her mouth while reading the comics.

He nodded while crunching on his cereal and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Why are you and Mom fighting?" Mallory asked wiping away the excess milk from her mouth.

Derek chuckled, "No we just had a misunderstanding."

"That's what grownups say when they don't want their kids to know they've been fighting." Her face suddenly got very serious and sullen with her next question. "Are you guys gonna get a divorce?" He choked on his bite putting the bowl down.

"No! Why do you always ask that?" Mallory shrugged and went back to reading her comics.

"Come here." He tilted his head in his direction for her to come sit with him. She got and dropped herself in his lap.

"Your mother and I love each other very much, but sometimes I can make mommy very mad."

"Sometimes!" Mallory scoffed.

"Okay most of the time, but that doesn't mean I love her any less or you and your siblings.

"Well maybe just Colby she can be annoying." She teased. The doorbell rang interrupting their father daughter moment.

"I'll get it!" Colby yelled from the foyer.

"Ask who it is!" Derek instructed and shook his head; she normally just opened the door anyway. In walked Rebecca, immaculate and ready as always to face the day. Mallory got off of Derek's lap and ran out of the room giving Rebecca a hasty "good morning".

"Well she's off!" Rebecca laughed.

"Good morning Rebecca." Derek smiled touching her elbow as he made his way to the sink. Rebecca was one of those many wives who had a crush on Derek. And with Derek being the kind touchy feely guy who gave off the wrong message; this made him all the more irresistible and unattainable.

"So I see you're back from your conference. How was it?"

"Oh it was great, but I really missed my wife and kids." He smiled while washing his bowl.

"Yeah, of course. Where is Meredith by the way?" she asked taking a step closer to him.

"Right here." Meredith said walking in with Thatcher on her hip. She strapped him into his high chair and moved to the fridge. "Hi Rebecca." She smiled.

"Well I just dropped in to say good morning. I really should be getting the kids to school. So I'll see you later." She said, quickly exiting.

"I know someone's glad your back." Meredith said under her breath as she got Thatcher's breakfast ready. "Here." She handed him Thatcher's meal.

"Mer."

"What?" she asked opening up a water bottle.

"Don't be like that. I didn't mean it like that."

"Mean what, that you really really wanted to have sex last night despite the fact that I was tired?" Derek gave her a half smile knowing she was right. "That's what I thought."

Derek sighed, "Are you going to work today?" She nodded.

"Yeah you get to play Mr. Mom today." Meredith replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Hon. Are you ever going to forgive me?" he asked circling his hands around her waist. She looked up into his piercing blue eyes, 'He smells really good.' She thought as his thumbs rubbed at the gap of skin revealed by her sweater. He pulled her closer to his body and kissed her nose.

"You don't want to sleep in the guestroom again do you?" he asked.

"No, but you will if you keep this up." Meredith said moving out of his embrace.

"Come on Mer, all I said was that we were having a bit of a dry spot."

"Would you cheat on me?" she blurted out. Derek looked to her with disbelief on his face.

"No!"

"It's just that your gone so often and I don't know if your…" she sobbed gently.

"Shh, shh, Mer calm down." He said drawing her close to her. "I would never do that to you. I love you so much."

"I love you too." She sighed and pulled back from his embrace. "I'm okay." Meredith nodded.

"You're okay. And you're going to be late." He said gesturing to his watch.

"God your right." Meredith wiped her eyes and smiled weakly. Derek leaned down kissing her softly.

"Hmmm." Meredith groaned wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. She had no idea why she was trying to pick a fight with him. That comment Rebecca made really bothered her but she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"I have to go." She pulled away grabbing her tote and slinging it around her shoulder. "See you tonight." Meredith said wiggling her fingers at him.

* * *

"No I can't come out with you and the guys tonight." Derek told his good friend Todd as he held Thatcher.

"Oh come on! You just got back and we wanted to hit Joe's." the lanky 38 year old exclaimed.

Todd and Derek's children went to school together. He was a single father and brought his six-year-old daughter Kay into the hospital because she had taken a bad fall and was bleeding into her brain. After comforting Todd and assuring him that Kay would be all right the two became really good friends.

"I already got a sitter I'm sure you could throw the kids on her."

Derek laughed as they waited outside of Mallory and Colby's school. There was a nice breeze that wafted through the air. It was so nice out all Derek wore was a sweater and Birkenstock sandals.

"Why don't I take a rain check? I really needed to fix dinner, help with the homework, and put them to bed." Thatcher mumbled incoherently banging against Derek's chest.

"Whoa cool it Thatch." He said stilling his fists. The kids came running out if the school building in a rush of excitement. He quickly spotted Mallory, Colby, and Kay; Derek waved motioning for them to come.

"Hey Daddy." Colby smiled as Derek bent down to kiss her. Mallory hugged his waist while Colby slipped her hand into free his one.

"Daddy!" Kay exclaimed as Todd hoisted her into his arms.

"Alrighty then. I'll catch you later Shepherd." Derek waved good-bye to his friend and took his keys out of his pocket.

"What do you think about pizza for dinner?" Derek asked as he was met with hoots of joy.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Whoa haven't updated in a long time. Sorry. I'll try to update some of my other older stuff too.

"I thought I'd find you here." Meredith exclaimed as she approached Derek. She was on her break and figured she'd spend it with her husband who often frequented the ferries at this time.

"Yeah, I have a thing for ferry boats." He laughed drawing her close with his free hand.

"Really." She laughed as he trapped her body against the railing with his as they looked out onto the water. He pressed his face close to her hair taking in the lavender scent.

"What are you up to?" he whispered kissing her cheek.

"Hmmm, nothing to exciting today. How about you."

Derek chuckled quietly, "You know Chief business and such." He never really liked to talk that much about the hospital's business with his wife. They agreed on keeping work and home separate. She took his cup from his hand taking a sip from the cardboard lid.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Yummy." Derek looked down at Meredith. Her blonde hair was wavy and wild whipping around in the breeze; her cheeks had a healthy glow to them as she smiled up at him.

"I was thinking about what you said about the other day." She said innocently pressing her backside against him.

"What." He said trapping her further with his body.

"Sex." She said bluntly. Derek chuckled; his blushing bride was never shy talking about sex.

"Yeah, what about sex."

"We haven't had any in…" she shuddered as Derek peppered her neck with wet sloppy kisses. He bit at her skin lightly delighting at the red mark it left. Claiming Meredith as his.

"What?" he prodded as she laced her fingers with his.

"…a long time. Maybe we could do it tonight?"

"I don't know I have a late surgery tonight I can't promise when I'll be home." Meredith pouted shrugging away from his warm touch.

"Come on Mer."

"You're never home anymore. The kids miss you, Doc misses you, and I miss you the most. God, you've turned me into one of those whiny housewives who sit at home twiddling their thumbs until their husband comes home. Soon I'm gonna have to resort to pleasuring myself."

"Can I watch?" he asked in all seriousness. Meredith looked back at him incredulously freeing herself from his grasp.

"I'm leaving." She announced walking away from him.

"That's okay I'll watch you walk away." He teased.

"Hey Colby don't open that box of mallow mars." Meredith instructed as she juggled her cell phone on her shoulder and shopping list in the other. She had pretty much gotten everything accept for the requested Trojans Derek had asked for and was on her way to the checkout aisle. Colby mumbled something unintelligible as she stuffed her small mouth with the messy chocolate cookie.

"I hope you can pay for it." Meredith said, Colby made a very audible gulp and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"That's what mommy thought." She nodded as she made her way to an open aisle. The phone began to ring and Meredith flipped it open checking the caller id. It was Derek.

"Hey." She breathed into the phone.

"Hey babe. Did you get the condoms?" he asked point blank.

"Any possible chances you had of getting laid tonight just flew out of that large window of opportunity."

"No!" he exclaimed jokingly.

"Mmm. Besides why would we use condoms I'm on the pill."

"Excellent point." Derek laughed into the phone.

"Mommy what are condoms?" Colby asked innocently with chocolate smudged all around her mouth.

"I don't know ask Daddy okay." Meredith said smoothly.

"Ask Daddy what?" Derek said into the phone.

"You'll find out when we get home." She laughed closing the phone.

"I have two nickels and a penny, will that cover it?" Colby asked giving her mother the loose change.

"That just might do."

After a successful craniotomy Derek came home to find Meredith lounging languidly in their bedspread out amongst the fluffy and warm comforters. Her golden blonde hair fanned out across the pillows as she rubbed her bare legs together getting comfy in one of Derek's dress shirts that she loved to wear to bed. Careful not to wake her, he slipped off his shoes and jacket and quietly made his way to her. Meredith stirred a little as she felt the dip of Derek's weight as he got into bed.

"Mmm." She murmured as he spooned into her. "You're back."

"Shh, don't let me wake you." He whispered kissing her behind her ear.

"I guess no sex tonight?"

"Yeah that's okay you need your rest babe." He placed one last kiss on her bare shoulder and rolled over.

"How was your surgery?" Meredith asked as she turned towards him. Derek laughed as he removed his watch; no matter how tired she was she never failed to ask him about his day.

"It was good a little tricky but good. Now sleep." He ordered again turning off the lamp across from him.

"Derek." She pouted as he rolled out on top of him. Her hands came to rest on his waist clutching the waistband of his jeans.

"Mer that's not gonna make it easier for me to keep my hands off you." He told her with his arms propped up on either side of her.

"Maybe I don't want to sleep."

"I knew you'd come around." He teased as Meredith giggled and rolled him over so she was now on top. Derek's lips found her's as ran his hands up her thighs coming to rest on her bum. He hooked his thumbs into her panties and slowly slid them down her legs.

"God how I've missed this." He exclaimed and reclaimed her mouth with his.


End file.
